MIDNIGHT DAYDREAM

AE: 32

Porchay stands in front a floor to ceiling glass, overlooking the vast green of the jungle behind it.

It has been two months now. Two months of eating the generosity of a man who seems to abandoned the world for him.

Ash doesn't go out much. He left Chay alone in this house only when it was necessary. Well, not exactly alone. There were more than twenty of guards and ten maids all over the house. Chay doesn't have to button his own shirt if he wants.

Chay knows that Ash has to be at least as ruthless as Kim if he is capable of keeping everybody quiet to where he is now. Looking as he best-friended Vegas and Kai, that doesn't seem to be far fetched. His gentle demeanor is facade. It's smoke and mirrors to lure the unsuspecting and the fool the ordinary mortal.

Being around those kinds of people for a long time, Chay can see past both Ash's smoke and mirrors in a short amount of time of them being together in a closed space. It only takes a little study of how he eyes his employees, how the curve of his lips changes, and how his hands fidget.

Ash is not white, he already knows that much before, but now he thinks he is just as black.

So, out of the lion's den and into the viper's pit, he is now.

But to his credit, Ash never show him his dark side. His eyes that hold him are always gentle. He hands that hold him are always warm and unpretentious. The voice when he speaks is always even and patience.

And one more things, Ash is always consider what Chay wants and put it above anything else.

He doesn't get it why.

He knows that Ash is kind and probably likes him a lot like Macau said. But not to this level. Who is he to Ash that the guy is willing to cross Kim Theerapanyakul for him?

Kim is not the same as his brothers. That cunning piece of brain that he has, is more likely to be inherited from his father. He is unpredictable and now, maybe, a loose canon.

A voice from the television distracts his peace and Chay turns around to see it. It's a breaking news of Korn Theerapanyakul's death. His eyes widden and looks at Ash who just come out of his study room. The eyes that see him back are not as settled as they usually are. There is fear there. Especially when the announcer says that the one who will take the throne will be announced in three days.

Not right away.

So it's probably not Kinn.

"Three days ...," he says softly to nobody as his eyes are fixed on Kim on that giant screen. The course of his life will be decided in three days.

Ash moves and stands beside him. "Are you afraid?"

"It will be lying if I say I'm not."

Ash smiles. "Yeah, me too. He is one crazy mother fucker."

Chay is silent but Ash knows what that silence means.

"He will be coming here, you know. It's only about time. My father ...," Ash pauses, "He isn't as strong as I like him to be. With many dents on his personal life, which I'm sure Kim knows to what color his panty he wore when he met his women, he will break in just half a day."

"When that time comes ..." Chay doesn't know if it's ok for him to say this, "When that time comes, don't risk your life, Phi. You already help me too much."

Ash laughs. "I think we have passed that bridge, no?"

Chay is silent again. They both watch the scenery in front of them in silence, accepting the heavy consequences behind that statement.

"Phi," Chay murmurs.

"Hm?"

"Do you want to marry me?"

It gets Ash's breath to stop. "Hm?", he asks again with a different tone.

"Let's get married."
***
Kim doesn't wait. He just doesn't.

The will has been said. Yadda, yadda, yadda, he's the successor, no one is objecting (or doesn't dare to). So he is it now.

So he just needs to wait for Kritsada Sutivanischak to arrive at the mansion to pay respect and condolence and drag him to the main office, which used to be his father's. Kim needs to redecorate this room and get rid of the smell immediately, he thinks gloomily as the person in front of him gives him the diplomatic words.

"Cut the crap," he says in an even tone, "I need to know where your son is. Now." He sounds cold, detached, and, in every word, mean.

Kritsada paused, taken back. But he is soon neutralized his face. "Is Kinn available? I like to have a word with the head of the house."

Kim smiles. It doesn't take a brainer to what that insinuated. "I am the head of the house."

Krit stays still. What the hell are these Theerapanyakuls doing, letting a man like Kimhan be the head of the house?

Oh, he knows Kimhan. He knows how he works, what method he uses, how different he is from his brothers. What he, and seems to be everybody, doesn't know is what's in Kimhan's mind. He is more slick and slippery than Korn. The pupil has outdone the master from a long time ago.

"When I'm mean now, I mean right at this moment. If you delay more than," he pauses, pondering on his watch, "fifteen minutes, then you'll know how different I am from my father."

He gives a gesture to Mong, who then places a wooden casket in front of Krit. Inside, Krit finds every copy of the misdeed of every members of his family, not just him. There is even a tab, containing, photos and videos.

Corruptions, collusions, nepotism, sex scandals, affairs, violence, murders, all of those and some more.

He looks at Kim with a different eyes. Full of fire. Hate. Anger. "If you take us down, we'll take you down with us."

Kim laughs and shrugs. "By all means, please do try and see who will stay around.  My family, you see, has always been belong in the dark. We never pretend to be clean, holy, and white. People already we are devils and bastards. The reason why people can't touch us is not because we don't do bad things, but because they are afraid of our power. Your family, on the other hand, is alive because people worship you as gods, can do no wrong. You should read the bible more times, Lung Krit. Lucifer is an angel once." Kim looks at his watch, "One minute."

Krit knows what answer should he takes. But he thinks about his son. His beautiful and good son. "I want you to promise me one thing."

Kim doesn't nod immediately, but he does regardless.

"Don't kill Ash."

Now, that's a hard thing to promise. But he knows it will be messy if he kills Ash, so he agrees. "Alright, you have my word."

The second he gets the location, he clues Mong to get everyone ready. That includes his family members, Porsche, and Pete. He isn't including them out of the goodness of heart, of course. But that's the price to keep them from objecting to his 'appointment' as the head of the house.

He escorts Krit out of the room and shifts the responsibility to accompany the guy and takes pictures for the press to Tankhun, who does it effortlessly. He will have to be the face of the family today as everyone is out for the hunt.
***